12-14-17 USDA announced disaster declaration for several Colorado counties for hard freeze last spring

USDA announced disaster declaration for several Colorado counties for hard freeze last spring

The letter from USDA Secretary Sonny Purdue to Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper says, “On May 31, 2017, the acting Colorado State Executive Director of the Farm Service Agency (FSA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), requested a primary county disaster designation for Montrose County, Colorado, due to damage and losses caused by severe freezes that occurred from April 4 through April 30, 2017. At that time, USDA was unable to make a complete and accurate determination of production losses for the current crop year. On November 28, 20 I 7, the Colorado State Office notified the National Office that the loss assessment report was complete.

USDA reviewed the Loss Assessment Report and determined that there were sufficient production losses to warrant a Secretarial natural disaster designation. Therefore, I am designating Montrose County, Colorado, as a primary natural disaster area.

In accordance with section 321 (a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, Delta, Gunnison, Mesa, Ouray, and San Miguel Counties, Colorado, are named as contiguous disaster counties.

A Secretarial disaster designation makes farm operators in primary counties and those counties contiguous to such primary counties eligible to be considered for certain assistance from FSA, provided eligibility requirements are met. This assistance includes FSA emergency loans. Farmers in eligible counties have 8 months from the date of a Secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans. FSA considers each emergency loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of production losses on the farm and the security and repayment ability of the operator.

Local FSA offices can provide affected farmers with further information.